A cloud robotics architecture for an emergency management and monitoring service in a smart cityenvironment

Cloud robotics is revolutionizing not only the robotics industry but also the ICT world, giving robots more storage and computing capacity, opening new scenarios that blend the physical to the digital world. In this vision new IT architectures are required to manage robots, retrieve data from them and create services to interact with users. In this paper a possible implementation of a cloud robotics architecture for the interaction between users and UAVs is described. Using the latter as monitoring agents, a service for fighting crime in urban environment is proposed, making one step forward towards the idea of smart cit

A pipelined configurable gate array for embedded processors

In recent years the challenge of high performance, low power retargettable embedded system has been faced with different technological and architectural solutions. In this paper we present a new configurable unit explicitly designed to imple-ment additional reconfigurable pipelined datapaths, suitable for the design of reconfigurable processors. A VLIW recon-figurable processor has been implemented on silicon in a standard 0.18 µm CMOS technology to prove the effective-ness of the proposed unit. Testing on a signal processing algorithms benchmark showed speedups from 4.3x to 13.5x and energy consumption reduction up to 92%

A cloud robotics architecture for an emergency management and monitoring service in a smart cityenvironment

Cloud robotics is revolutionizing not only the robotics industry but also the ICT world, giving robots more storage and computing capacity, opening new scenarios that blend the physical to the digital world. In this vision new IT architectures are required to manage robots, retrieve data from them and create services to interact with users. In this paper a possible implementation of a cloud robotics architecture for the interaction between users and UAVs is described. Using the latter as monitoring agents, a service for fighting crime in urban environment is proposed, making one step forward towards the idea of smart city

The prevalence of resistant arterial hypertension and secondary causes in a cohort of hypertensive patients: a single center experience

The prevalence of resistant hypertension (RHT) still remains unknown. Aim of the study was to investigate in a large cohort of hypertensive patients the prevalence of RHT, and to identify in these patients the secondary forms of arterial hypertension (SH). We enrolled a series of 3685 consecutive hypertensive patients. All patients underwent complete physical examination, laboratory tests, screening for SH. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed to exclude white-coat hypertension. Further, we investigated for any obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). Only 232 (5.8%) hypertensive patients fulfilled criteria for RHT. 91 (39%) had a SH; 56 (61%) hypertensive patients had a primary aldosteronism, 22 (24%) had OSA, 7 (7.7%) had a hypercortisolism, and 5 (5.5%) had a renovascular hypertension (RVH). Only one patient had adrenal pheochromocytoma. An accurate definition and investigation into RHT is needed. We recommend ABPM to all patients at diagnosis. Finally, all patients must be screened for SH, such as adrenal hypertension, OSA and RVH, especially those who are apparently resistant to polypharmacological treatment

Razvoj biomedicinskog inženjerstva u Hrvatskoj

Biomedicinsko inženjerstvo značajno je doprinijelo promjenama u zdravstvenoj zaštiti i medicini, pa i ostalim biomedicinskim znanostima. Medi-cina i zdravstvena zaštita ovise o visokoj tehnologiji za prevenciju, dijagnosti-ku i liječenje bolesti, te za rehabilitaciju pacijenata. Biomedicinsko inženjer-stvo predstavlja jedno (od dvije) najbrže rastuće grane industrije u razvijenom svijetu, temeljeno na inovacijama što pokazuju statistike Europskog patentnog zavoda prema kojima je čitavo desetljeće broj patentnih prijava upravo najvi-še u području medicinske tehnologije. Razvoj biomedicinskog inženjerstva u Hrvatskoj započeo je institucionalno početkom sedamdesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, a nosioci razvoja bili su Elektrotehnički fakultet (danas Fakultet elektrotehnike i računarstva) i Fakultet strojarstva i brodogradnje Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. U ovom radu dan je prikaz dijela istraživačkih i inženjerskih do-stignuća njihovih istraživačkih timova u proteklim desetljećima

Effects of selective harvesting on traffic pattern and soil compaction in a subtropical forest in Guarani, Misiones, Argentine = Efeitos da exploração seletiva de florestas neotropicais em padrões de tráfego e na compactação do solo em Guarani, Misiones, Argentina

A colheita de madeira na floresta tropical produz impactos muito importantes, especialmente na compactação do solo. Neste trabalho foram comparados os efeitos de dois sistemas de colheita seletiva na compactação do solo, em uma floresta neotropical na reserva Guarani, em Misiones, Argentina. Os métodos de colheita foram: o comercial (CH), empregado pelos empreiteiros da região e a colheita de baixo impacto (RIL), com seleção das árvores a serem cortadas e com planejamento para a locação das vias de arraste e dos pátios, em função das condições do terreno. A área das vias de arraste e a intensidade de tráfego, em relação à compactação do solo, foram comparadas com o volume de árvores colhidas e as condições do terreno. Detectou-se que o tratamento RIL concentra o volume de toras e o peso das toras, e reduz a carga total sobre o solo, e a intensidade de tráfego, principalmente nos caminhos primários. O aumento da intensidade de tráfego resultou em maior compactação do solo e em maior profundidade. O método de colheita RIL evita o aumento da compactação do solo, pela redução na carga total aplicada sobre o solo.Harvesting tropical forests produce important impacts, especially in soil compaction. Effects of selective harvesting methods on soil compaction were compared in a natural subtropical forest in the Guarani preservation area, Misiones state, Argentine. An ordinary commercial harvesting method (CH) used by the logging contractors in the region and reduced impact logging method (RIL) with selection of harvestable trees and limitation of the skidding trials and landings were applied with reference to terrain condition. Area of skid trails; intensities of traffic related to extent of soil compaction were compared with volume of harvested trees and terrain condition. It was found that the RIL treatment concentrates the logs volume and logs weight, with a diminution of the total load over the soil, and the traffic intensity, especially on primary roads. The increase of the traffic intensities resulted in higher soil compaction at deepest depth. Planned logging operations through the RIL method, avoid significant soil compaction through the reduction of the total load over the soil.EEA MontecarloFil: Mac Donagh, Patricio. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Rivero, Liliana. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Garibaldi, Juan. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Alvez, Mario. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Cortez, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Marek, Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Erbetta, Diego. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Roberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Montecarlo; ArgentinaFil: Pahr, Norberto Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Montecarlo; ArgentinaFil: Toma, Takeshi. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; Japó

Obstructive sleep apnea in Prader-Willi syndrome: risks and advantages of adenotonsillectomy

Obstructive sleep apnea is a well-known clinical manifestation of Prader-Willi syndrome. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy for the treatment of the disorder as well as the improvement of their post-operative quality of life. Five patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apneas and adenotonsillar hypertrophy of grade III-IV underwent adenotonsillectomy. Pre- and postoperative apneas and Quality of Life were assessed respectively with a polysomnography with multi-sleep latency test and with the pediatric Quality of Life questionnaire, performed before and 6 months after surgery. A decrease of apnea/hypopnea index values has been detected between pre- and post-surgery (t=2.64, P=0.005), as well as oxygen desaturation index values (t=5.51, P=0.005), multi-sleep latency test (t=4.54, P=0.01), and of the values of pediatric Quality of Life questionnaire. No correlation has been detected between body mass index and apnea/hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation index and multi-sleep latency test values pre- and post-adenotonsillectomy. A correlation has been found between multi-sleep latency test and oxygen desaturation index values post-surgery (P=0.04). No post-operative complications were observed. Our data underline the efficacy of surgery in Prader-Willi patients with adenotonsillar hypertrophy in order to improve their quality of life

Ticks from migratory birds as possible route to spread Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever virus : preliminary data about species composition from three Italian islands

Migratory birds have been known to be passive carriers of arthropod vectors of various pathogens. A study to assess the potential role of migratory birds, which are tick-carriers, as a possible route to spread the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) into Europe was initiated in 2017 by the Italian Ministry of Health. Ticks were collected from birds during seasonal bird ringing activities in Mediterranean islands known to be stop-over sites for migratory birds from Africa or from East Europe and Turkey.peer-reviewe

Long-Term Effects of Breast Cancer Therapy and Care: Calm after the Storm?

Breast cancer is still a lethal disease and the leading cause of death in women, undermining patients' survival and quality of life. Modern techniques of surgery and radiotherapy allow for the obtaining of good results in terms of survival, however they cause long-term side effects that persist over time, such as lymphedema and neuropathy. Similarly, the advent of new therapies such as endocrine therapy revolutionized breast cancer outcomes, but side effects are still present even in years of follow-up after cure. Besides the side effects of medical and surgical therapy, breast cancer is a real disruption in patients' lives considering quality of life-related aspects such as the distortion of body image, the psychological consequences of the diagnosis, and the impact on family dynamics. Therefore, the doctor-patient relationship is central to providing the best support both during treatment and afterwards. The aim of this review is to summarize the consequences of medical and surgical treatment on breast cancer patients and to emphasize the importance of early prevention of side effects to improve patients' quality of life